US embassy cable - 04PHNOMPENH1985

C O N F I D E N T I A L  PHNOM PENH 001985 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, CB, PINR, PREL 
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S BOHEMIAN KING - THE HONEYMOON IS NOT 
YET OVER 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Charles A. Ray.  Reason:  1.4 (b) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  King Norodom Sihamoni continues to reach 
out to people across Cambodia, bringing a new sense of 
dignity to the royal house.  Though most of his forays into 
the countryside are carefully scripted, on occasion he breaks 
the bonds and makes a solid connection with the crowds.  His 
careful, well-modulated speeches, though prompted as much by 
his lack of familiarity with his native Khmer as anything, 
have been a welcome change from the high-pitched speech 
characteristic of his father and older half brother.  He has 
broken many of his father's traditions, most notably being 
his insistence on having Khmer rather than North Korean 
bodyguards, and having a less obvious security presence 
around him when he meets with people.  The Czech Ambassador 
describes Sihamoni as the "Bohemian King of Cambodia," a man 
who speaks Czech like a native, and who thinks of Prague as 
his hometown.  Sihamoni's relationship with the Hun Sen-led 
government thus far has been without the tensions that 
existed during his father's time on the throne.  While it 
seems clear that Hun Sen wants a non-political king, it 
appears equally obvious that he is not anti-monarchy.  The 
most probable threat to the new King still seems to be the 
ambitions of his half brother, the mercurial Prince 
Ranariddh.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) King Norodom Sihamoni has kept up a punishing 
schedule of visits to various provinces in Cambodia since his 
coronation, most recently attending Les Nuits d'Angkor in 
Siem Reap, much to the delight of the Cambodian members of 
the dance troupe.  Each week, he visits a different rural 
area of the kingdom, speaking to the people, and most 
important, listening to their concerns.  He projects an aura 
of calm that has in short order restored some of the dignity 
to the throne, according to some local observers.  Though his 
trips are well scripted, included carefully prepared 
speeches, he often breaks away from his entourage and gets 
close to the crowd.  At one such event which Ambassador 
attended, people in the crowd cried after touching his hand. 
Even some youth, who were noncommittal about the throne 
before his coronation, seem genuinely moved by his obvious 
compassion and concern. 
 
3.  (C)  Sihamoni speaks in a calm, well-modulated voice, a 
welcome relief from the high-pitched nasal tones of his 
father Norodom Sihanouk.  His slow, measured speech, an 
effective method of gaining an audience's attention, is also 
due to his unfamiliarity with his native Khmer.  Sihamoni has 
lived abroad for almost his entire adult life, and is far 
more comfortable in other languages.  He lived and studied in 
the former Czechoslovakia, for example, from the ages of 9 to 
22, and according to the Czech Ambassador, speaks Czech like 
a Prague native.  In fact, the Ambassador said, during his 
courtesy call Sihamoni told him he hoped the people of Prague 
were "proud of him for what he had accomplished."  Jokingly, 
the Ambassador said that Sihamoni has been the Czech 
Republic's most significant export to Asia.  The last 
Bohemian King, from the house of Hapsburg, spoke Czech 
haltingly and preferred his native German, while the 
"Bohemian King of Cambodia" speaks perfect Czech, and even 
signs his name "Sihamony." 
 
4.  (C)  The new king has also broken tradition in regard to 
his bodyguards.  Unlike his father who has a contingent of 
North Koreans, Sihamoni has insisted on having Khmer 
security, albeit trained by the more experienced North 
Koreans.  Prince Norodom Sirivudh, Deputy Prime Minister and 
co-Minister of the Interior, told Ambassador that on his 
first trip to the provinces, Sihamoni took several of his 
father's guards and people complained about their gruff 
behavior.  He then decided, Sirivudh said, to have them 
provide technical training to Cambodians and since, he has 
been surrounded by Khmer bodyguards.  At a Phnom Penh outing 
in early December, even the North Korean who is training the 
contingent was not in sight.  Sihamoni also does not have 
guards in sight during his audiences, unlike Sihanouk who has 
a North Korean with him at all times when he is in public. 
 
5.  (C)  Some international commentators have speculated that 
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has had a difficult relationship 
with the former king, wants to abolish the monarchy in 
Cambodia.  Our observations since Sihamoni's coronation are 
that, while the Prime Minister prefers a non-political king, 
and probably would not hesitate to destroy the monarchy if it 
posed a real threat to his hold on power, he is not 
anti-monarchy.  Relations between the palace and the Council 
of Ministers appear to be proper, and in some instances even 
cordial.  One senior CPP official has described Sihamoni as a 
"king we can work with."  For his part, Sihamoni has moved 
slowly but steadily to establish the throne as a voice for 
the voiceless, and as an institution that aims to help those 
most in need of help.  The most obvious threat to Sihamoni 
still seems to stem from his half brother Prince Norodom 
Ranariddh, currently president of the National Assembly and 
head of the royalist FUNCINPEC party.  At a lunch with 
Ambassador on December 21, Ranaraddh reiterated that he loves 
being in politics and did not want to be king.  But even 
those closest to him don't really believe him, and what he 
might do, or try to do, after Sihanouk dies remains a mystery. 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT:  It is probably too early to predict the 
success or failure of the reign of King Norodom Sihamoni, but 
all the signs point toward success, and that is important in 
itself as he has assumed his position at a time when the 
Cambodian monarchy was at its nadir.  He seems to be 
emulating the much respected Thai King by being the father 
figure who stays above politics and who acts as the 
conscience of the nation and the voice of the poor.  He is 
increasingly, it seems, exploring the limits of his ability 
to act within the constitution, and making adjustments as he 
goes along.  As an example, early on he proposed holding 
national conferences as called for in the constitution, but 
Hun Sen objected.  Sihamoni dropped the idea, but has since 
been meeting with small groups and listening to their 
grievances - a sort of mini-conference.  Another win for 
Sihamoni came when Hun Sen, who initially objected to monthly 
cabinet briefings for the king, later announced publicly that 
he and his cabinet would do so on a monthly basis.  The 
ruling party needs the monarchy to help validate its own 
legitimacy, and as long as Sihamoni avoids the details of 
politics he will probably have CPP support.  If he continues 
to reach out to the people as successfully as he has this 
past few months, there could come a day if he is threatened 
by anyone (e.g., Prince Ranariddh), he would have the CPP and 
the whole country at his back. 
 
 
RAY